Fish Cooking Guide – The Different Fishes For Cooking – Classification of Fish for Cooking

So many questions arise systematically when we feel like cooking fish: fat fish or lean fish? From saltwater or freshwater? Cooked whole, steaks or fillets?
Here’s an explanation how fish are classified.

We are used to classify fish according three main criterias:

1. Their natural environment
2. Their lipid content
3. Their shape

The natural environment

Saltwater fish: sole, sea bass, mackerel, place, squid, cod, sea bream, John Dory, brill, turbot, skate, flounder, tuna, whiting, mullet, sardines, anchovies …
Freshwater fish: pike, carp, tench, char …
Freshwater or sea: sea trout, salmon, eel …

The lipid content

Lean fish (less than 5% fat): sea bass, pike, cod, hake, sea bream, monkfish, whiting, cod, skate, sole, flounder, trout.
Mid-fat fish (5 to 10% fat): sardines, halibut, anchovies, mackerel, carp, swordfish, roach.
Fatty fish (10 to 25% fat): herring, eel, tuna, salmon